Life is, Life is Not
by geraldineamoeba
Summary: An AU of Fallout 4 & AOT. A woman’s family dies, setting in the harsh reality: ‘Hold the ones you love close, because you never know when they’ll be gone.’ While trying to move on, travelling, a series of strange, unfortunate events throws her down an unexpected path, testing her newly found unselfishness. As things unravel, she realizes, this was her destiny all along. Levi x OC
1. Chapter 1

1

After my parent's death, my brother went also. His death was slow, prolonged. I watched as he quietly shut down on the inside, a handicapped man of 37. My mother had done a good job of taking care of him, he was born with difficulties in life that hadn't been because of his choosing, and being confined to a wheelchair limited his ability to experience the world; that was something I always regretted. I would of loved to take my brother to places all over the world, as my job in foreign business did. I would of liked him to know what the Nile looked like as it flowed and touched the sea, to taste the flavor of Japanese squid freshly and softly pan-fried. I could of taken him, but, I didn't.

Plane travel was a constant thing in my life, endless panoramic views of the skies above multiple countries graced my view from the first class windows. I'd seen a million miles of ocean, architecture of buildings from above, and, less than a few hundred airports. But... my brother never came along. He had issues with car sickness, plane travel in dealing with the pressure changes, and his physical health was never well enough. So, therefore, I couldn't share with him much of my adult life.

I loved all of it. I hated all of it.

Everything was fine, only fine. Then it was all taken away. My parents one evening were driving on a 'our road', the same one they always drove down to visit The Hockers, our longest family friends. They lived in outside Pittsburgh, and they made the best Philly Cheesesteaks known to man kind. That night, with dinner in mind, my parents were distracted, speaking and trusting the road. They had driven it so many times over the 23 years we lived along it, it was second nature. The Chevy hugged every curve of it, every turn they knew on instinct. We knew on instinct. I knew we would be half way there when we passed the old run-down gas station that Sam's family used to own, and my brother would exclaim 'Sam I Am!".

We all knew this road, and lived this road.

Until a semi slammed into their car, a semi truck that nobody knew would drive down this country road, because they weren't supposed to, it was against the law.

They died instantly. My brother, so horrified afterwards that I believe that was what began his shutdown process. The heartache, the emptiness, watching the blood from our father's head trickle down over his face as he was pinned upside down, mangled, stuck, staring blank and hazed into once animated faces.

I found out three days later. Nobody could reach me in Thailand, not where I was, in the southern lands, dealing with a contracting organization set to build apartment complexes on a mass scale. I had been heckling million dollar land discrepancies for my company, The Wright Group.

It took me a week to get back.

They were already buried.

My brother, a clam. My aunt had him at her house. He was a shallow husk of who he was before. When he seen me, when his deep brown eyes met mine for the first time in months, I seen nothing. He didn't even try to hug me. He didn't say my name.

I found resentment instead.

Our relationship suffered afterwards, up to the day he died. He rarely spoke to me, only mostly to my aunt, who tried her damnest to make things right, but just couldn't. I loved her, but she wasn't mom, and what made me sad is I knew I wasn't mom either. I wasn't good at medication schedules, habitual check-ups on his dietary needs. I had reached a point where I even decided to transfer to a location in the USA for my job, so I could fly home to my brother more, because after an event so tragic, a person turns a leaf, you realize how precious life is. You change yourself for other people. You become less important; priorities change.

It was too late. I hadn't been there enough; since I had landed the job nearly 5 years ago, the constant leave of absence drew my family and I apart, rarely could I call, rarely could I see them, rarely was I available, period. Such a great divide grew between us all.

It went unnoticed. I was just 'going through the motions' of life, trying to do my best in my adult career that I could. I was using my degree and I was proud of myself. Perhaps too proud.

It paid good. It killed my family ties, and I was the one that had allowed it to happen.

It's been 2 years since I've been left without them. I've forced myself to come to terms with the loss. I've realized that you should hold people you hold dear to you close. Don't let them go, don't do something that takes you away from them.

I'll never let it happen again.

I won't suffer this pain again.


	2. Chapter 2

2

"Jill, I finally quit."

"Did'you?" A husky voice cracked. It was 1 am.

"I did. I submitted the 2 weeks paperwork." I followed with a reassured sigh of relief. It was over. Finally.

"Y'know, I think this'is gunna be better for you."

"Yeh." No reluctance, just a quiet sense of truthfulness escaped in my response.

"It will be. I get that you needed work as'a distraction after your brother passed, but I was hopin' you'd quit that damn job eventually."

"I miss them." A tear began to form in my eye. Jill could sense it. She'd known me awhile now, she knew what had happened to my parents, to my family.

"Look... hun, you're 28. You've got a lot of life to live yet."

I knew she meant that I needed to be a 'big girl'. I needed to just to go on, to forgive, to move forward. "You've done nothin' but help me. When I needed refuge from all these feelings, from these inner thoughts that were destroying me, you were the one I could come to. Honestly, I don't even know what to do with myself without a job. I'm gunna go crazy."

"True, I've come to know that you aren't a quitter, but now, it's a matter of 'what's the next step?'."

"I do'know." There was no confidence in my voice anymore. I had always known what the 'next step' was in the past. My job was an itinerary of scheduled dates all over the world, all the time, there was never room for error, never room for privilege.

"Maybe that's exactly what you need. Sometimes not knowing is the best. Just live life, and explore, and continue on. Sure, bad things have happened, you've made bad decisions, but you now are a person of 'learned fault'."

"I regret not being there. If I could take it back, had I known..." I had came to terms, but it would never sit right. Never.

"Shh." She cut me off. "Quiet yourself. You've got t'not think about that. What happened was sudden. It was an accident. You could have been there more to see your family, to have a better relationships with them, but the ultimate factor is aside from those relationships, what happened... happened."

"I know."

"Then why are you beating yourself up? Stop it Celeste. I'm being serious."

I sighed, the time for heartache was past. I was just emptier now. So very empty.

"You need to do something fun. You don't have kids, no husband, take advantage of that and do things you never got to do."

"You're probably right, but travelling? I don't want to'do that again."

"But how much of that was spent actually exploring places, and not doing work?"

"You've got a point there." If Jill would of seen me, she would of seen the extremely gaunt look on my face. She was right, no enjoyment at all happened with my career, there were moments where I got to eat nice places, to see interesting things, but as far as 'extra-curricular fun', that was kept fully off the menu.

* * *

( _Rough Japanese being spoken_ )

"What?!"

"I told you Isayama-san, no more!"

"Juri-sama, you have helped me so much! I need a reading!"

The old woman turned to the man in his young 30's, his black shaggy cut floating across his face, his eyes confused with her actions. The elder Japanese woman was slamming bags into the back of a taxi haphazardly spilling contents of some of them on the ground. She blinked and just continued on.

"Juri-sama!" He ran to help aid her like any young gentleman would, and amongst grabbing some of the materials off the ground: a shirt, a lace doily, a few pictures, she just yanked them out of his hands without saying thank you and slammed the trunk.

He grabbed her by the arms stopping her so quickly that she shrieked.

His eyes nearly popped out of his head that it was so loud. He instantly let go. He was just trying to calm her for God's sake!

"Juri-sama!" He said hushed now, as some passer-bys were looking with odd expressions on their faces. "I just... I don't understand."

"How could you?" She blurted. "You don't have the foresight like I do." She straightened her mess of hair.

"You've been right about my life so far, your blood-type readings are the best, I have full faith in you."

"Now young boy, compliments aren't necessary!" She threw up a finger in his face.

"Won't you just tell me where you're going?"

"No!"

"But?"

"Isayama-san. I told you 2 years ago. A storm is coming. It's coming soon my boy. It is time to get ahead of that storm while you can."

"About... what I published?" A strike of fear rung through him. Like a silent room filled suddenly with the strike of a bass drum. He felt numb, his whole body. He didn't want to believe her.

"The inevitable." She responded as she gripped him tight into a hug. A rashly rough hug the old woman crushed him with. He was too shocked to reply. "We've tried. We've tried to warn the world."

"You ready?" the taxi man was getting impatient as hell waiting on the musings going on. "Lady! Say goodbye to the grandson, and let's go!"

She turned, "He's not my relation you twit!"

"Well, whatever!" The man squinted his eyes, and threw of his cap in a fed-up motion. "It's 8 at night! I've got places to be!"

She rolled her eyes. "I've got to go, I'm going into hiding. I suggest you do the same."

"But there's more writing to finish. The story, it has to come to a conclusion. If, if, the people read what will play out, how it ends..."

"Not possible!" She opened the car door for herself, and he bustled to help the best medium in west Tokyo get inside the car safely. The old woman was simply harsh in all of her goings-on. He had told her in the past to try to calm it down, but never would she listen.

He admired her for that.

"Now now." She patted his head like a youngster. He stood holding the door as she floofed her skirt into the cab. "Isayama-san, you know I can't see that far into the future. But yes, finish up to what we discussed, all of it."

He sighed.

"Do you regret it?" She asked. It took him by surprise.

"No. I've lived rather richly with my wife and baby."

"Good, my predictions got you what you wanted, and it got me what I wanted... the truth out into the world."

"This became more than a transcation for me."

He had been coming to her since he was in his early 20's for readings. It had started as simple blood-type readings, (based off of his blood type what decision he should take next), and generally it was correct. Next was tarot that she dabbled in, albeit a bit more European in decent, it worked rather the same, it was more narrowed, a fixed, but hidden path it fortold. Then he got more in-depth spiritually. He had became a common visitor to her bodega, and took part in some of her inner most secretive 'seeing' techniques.

That was when it all began. The visions, the horrible, grotesque visions. He knew something was bothering her, and she spilled it to him, and they developed a plan of action. A transaction was made.

She would allow her visions to be published as fictional stories, making Isayama rich, to rise him from poverty. However, the intention was that people would know the story, it would be listed as fictional, but the hope was that when the day arose that it would come, that the end would be near (as she stated in secret to him), that people could arm themselves correctly, that they could defend themselves. To hide. Something. Anything. To survive.

"I care about you." Isayama stated clearly.

"I know." She rose his hand to her face, and they shared a soft moment. "Finish the tale, as quickly as you can, then go hide yourself and your family."

"How long do you think?"

"Not sure." Her hand fell to her lap. Instant regret, never did her imagery and dreams come with time-stamps.

"I'll finish up to where your visions stop. I promise."

"Isayama-san." She grabbed the door handle, ushering to him that she was ready to depart, "Every unique detail, the colors of their hair, the exchanges they make, who they are as people, their weaponry, the military, and even the Titans themselves."

He nodded. He was known amongst the anime community as the most descriptive, the most deep, the 'riveting'. If only he could tell them it was all true.

He didn't want to even believe it himself.

This is story had gotten him notoriety, awards. It had brought him so much more than confidence and money, it had brought him fame. For the first year writing and drawing it, the manga, he lived in an 'aloof' state of mind, even through his wife's pregnancy. If he was to live off of some lunatic seer's story, if it was going to boost his career and make him money, then woo hoo! 'I'm going to do it'. The story was written, even the characters, all he had to do was put it in visual form (approved by her of course), and she wanted zero recognition. She wanted nobody in the public to know that it was her story. He showed ATTACK ON TITAN as his original.

He got all the credit.

But that was then, and this is now.

After awhile, he began to realize something. At first he thought she was a crack-pot liar, high on opium or something, but as the story began unfolding, he realized... she wasn't just pulling this from anywhere. The characters, they were too real; the descriptions of the places, familiar. Her emotions in describing the events, she would cry. She would 'feel'. This was real to her, and that was what made it more real to him.

As he watched her smile at him one last time, and the taxi drive away... he couldn't help but believe her. His opinion had changed so drastically over the course of two years.

He questioned his ability to believe such a fantastical crap-shoot. She had always been right before, even when she had predicted when he was 23 that he'd soon meet the love of his life in an alley.

He did.

It's always 'out of your mind' when the prediction actually hits you, when you realize 'Ah ha! It did happen!'.

But this time it was not 'Ah ha!' It's much more serious.

He promised her he'd finish publishing AOT, til the end. Til the story runs out.

Then he and his family, they'll run... for dear life.


	3. Chapter 3

3

"I know why they chose slate for yours." I reached out and touched the smoothed down headstone with my fingertips, spreading a bouquet of white lilies among 3 graves. You scientist," I smiled softly. "All the plaques and your desk. It was all slate. That was your thing wasn't it dad?" I laid a few more flowers. "Your work, and us." I sighed deeply. "That was what you was most proud of."

My throat was in a knot, it began to choke itself, making my words small amongst breathy gasps.

"You alone taught me the meaning of hard work and determination. Having you as a role model, it showed me what I needed in life. I looked up to you." My voice shallow, "I love you so much." Something tightened to where I could barely speak "I'll... always love you."

It was hard speaking in past tense. I just... I just... broke down.

I turned away.

I seen that my aunt, Julie, had been there recently to plant flowers, morning glories, and they had grown up, all viney over my mom's. Gardening was something that they shared. They were always planting herbs, carrots, potatoes, tulips. Mom had told me once that the reason we called morning glories, 'Purple Julies', was because they were my aunt's favorite flower. Truth was, they were more blue than purple. I'd make darn sure that my aunt knew when I was a kid.

 _NUHuh! They're blue Aunt Julie!_

My mom and her sister would just laugh at me, and my aunt would stick her tongue out at me, egging me on.

We always had been a 'saying' and 'nickname' family. There was always a shortened version of a long name, and that's how my family showed ownership and love over things; Julie was Julianna, our family four-wheeler (ATV) was Big Bart, my cat was Bo, short for Bojangles of course, a name I had came up with all on my own.

We had driven down South County Route 16 at least 10 times before it started getting shortened. It became 'South Route 16' first. A few years later, that's when it truly became 'our road'. My mom had said it first, in a car ride, on the way to The Hockers. My dad commented on it, saying that it truly was, truly was.

Everyone knew then what we meant, what we were referring to when we called it such, at parties, at family events, at school functions.

Unforgettable it will be the day I received the call in Thailand, a voice that had grown distant over the years, saying:

 _"Celeste... It's Juilanna... there's been an accident, something happened on the South County Route 16."_

 _"You mean 'our road'?"_

She choked a " _Yes."_

It was unreal, unnatural like the event itself that had taken place.

I touched my mother's slate headstone, "It's time to travel on my own road now. Mom... I'm not gunna be back for awhile." Tears wells in my eyes.

I turned to my brother's.

"I'm sorry." Whispers.

I let the last few flowers drop, I wasn't a good griever, I had been daintily placing the flowers, but no more.

They just fell.

"J, Julie said she'd keep up the plots." I tried to distract myself with factual knowledge. But, it didn't.

His were the most painful to place, the last few lilies, they always were, especially when his beautiful brown eyes stared at me in a warm smile, up from the portrait on his headstone.

I wouldn't be back in America, not for some time.

Julie had agreed with my best friend Jill, it was time. I needed to move on, and self-discovery trip was happening.

I didn't know the next time I'd be back to this place. It wasn't home, just a random stretch of hilly land, behind a gate in the city that held the bodies of the people I cared about the most, but not the memories.

I knew even when I left tomorrow, no matter where I went, no matter what I discovered, I'd go on, I'd go on nicknaming.

I'd keep their habits alive as much as I would their memories. They were a part of me, just as I was of them.

* * *

28 Years Ago

"Happy Birthday Mister Presidentttttttt..." A dramatic pause by a lady in a white dress. "Happy... Birth... day... toooo you!"

He blew out the candles in a quick puff and everyone in the room roared in laughter as the girl pretended to stumble and fall into the lap of a handsome labcoat tech.

"Ha, well thank you everyone!" He laughed merrily. The crowd was whistling and hooting as the Marilyn Monroe look-alike smacked a huge red lipstick kiss on his cheek.

About 40 people were in there, a pretty big crowd seeing as most research scientists were more than average hobbyists in hermiting. Pulling these people away from their work was simply frustrating at times.

A man came around as the cake began getting cut, "I hope you have a good one Dr. McLann!" The guy smacked him on the back. How he said his name was in a mocking manner.

"Yeh I will! The baby is due soon, so that'll be somethin'."

The guy bent his hand for a shake and the two doctors grasped each other in a hearty one.

"Congratulations Bill... really."

"Thank you, but my question is more so... where in the world did you find someone as unlucky as her to kiss a guy on the cheek like me?"

"Oh Bill you know, I've got connections."

They laughed loudly over the Foreigner's Jukebox Hero being played on the stereo.

He whispered in the birthday boy's ear, "It's actually my sister."

"What?!"

"Oh come on... I paid her 50 bucks to dress like a hooker and kiss my best friend for his birthday, get over it."

"To embarrass the shit out of me obviously!" Bill started laughing again.

"You didn't look embarrassed to me."

"How are the two idiots?"

"Hey Penny." Wilson addressed her first.

"Wilson, Wilson... Who on earth is that?"

"It's his sister." Bill said resolutely. Promptly.

Her reaction was priceless, as her mouth sort of fell agape. They laughed observing the blonde wig clad girl dancing and semi-spilling a vodka tonic.

"She just hasn't grown out of the 'I'm 21 and can officially drink now' stage."

"Well, she will one day, eventually..." Penny restated, "Sometime."

"Hope so." Wilson sighed.

They all knew that Wilson envied her for her youth. He was the eldest in his family, he was the one that his parent's relied on for setting an example. While he was feisty himself, and silly, he never got to 'live it up', like his youngest. Now that he'd seen the what the party-life of a university student was like, he did sincerely think she would get it all partied out of her in no time.

"I'd say, you aren't doin' her any favors though there Wilson." Penny commented, pushing up her glasses. She had stopped by to give her wishes to Bill mostly, not talk about Wilson's thoughts on his sister.

She took a swig of a ginger ale. "So what's on the agenda after... the... cake...?" She joked, sounding like Marilyn Monroe, all breathy in the last few words.

"You mean after I call my wife and tell her what Wilson did here?"

Wilson smirked.

"I'm probably goin' t'go back to Lab D. I've got some bio-chem traces I'm incubating. I have to see exactly how much the nutrients grew them."

"Lucky Bastard, leaving for Belgium in a week. I can't believe it." Wilson cut in.

"Yeh, if this project goes as planned, hopefully we'll have a new serum-trace agent ready as an additive for the Dengu Fever vaccine. It all depends on the how well it grew in the nutrients." He smacked Wilson's leg, "I'll be back... don't you worry. I'll only be there for a short time doing testing."

"Like I'm worried."

"I'm the worried one." Penny stated. "What about your wife? She's due here soon, and she's going to be flying to Belgium with you."

"You know her, she can't stand being complacent at home. It's like she wants to be, and she knows she needs to be, but she's gettin' stir-crazy. Don't worry, the baby will be born on an American base. That make's a US Citizen... if that's what your worried about too there."

"Nah, just mostly her travelling."

"Well she fought tooth and nail about me goin', and the easiest solution was just for her to go with me there. There's no way I'm gunna be in Belgium while Celeste is being born in the US of A."


	4. Chapter 4

4

"Well, this hotel looks pretty damn amazing." Words came out of my mouth in a exasperated manner. I was jet-lagged, 12 hours jet-lagged, and 5 layover flights later, I was finally here: Belgium.

"I walked over to the buffet table alongside the nearest wall, opened the French doors to the balcony, and poured myself a scotch neat. This was where my father used to work, where I was born, and to think, I'd never even seen this country. A lot of the foreign affairs within the commercial corporation I worked under had a majority of their dealings in Asia.

"Good thing I've got a couple hundred-thou left." I spoke to myself again, listening to the echo of my voice, smaller in comparison to the original.

"Are you satisfied with your accommodations Madam?" An attendant, a frail looking mid-forties, folded my coat on the bed.

"Yes, thank you." I took a swig.

"He continued in a heavy Germanic accent, common within the Walloon region:

"Well Madam, welcome to the City of Charleroi. May I suggest a tour of Palais des Beaux-Arts? It is one of the major attractions in the city, and houses some of the finest, historic, Art Nouveau pieces in the world." He laid a brochure on the bedside table, as he straightened the white roses in a vase. "Would you like to hear some suggestions for Four Star eateries in the area Madam?" He paused for an answer, as he still busily turned-down the duvet.

"Uh, no, that's alright..." I had a moment where I just stared off into the city from the balcony. "Oh, wait."

"Hm, yes Madam?" He stopped entirely, he had completed his services and was ready to depart.

"Does the city have a rail system nearby?"

"Oh yes, of course Madam. It is called the Tec Light Rail Metro."

"I walked back inside, pouring myself just a little bit more scotch, an idea formulating. "And, will it take me to the Offerman Sciences Institute?"

"I believe so, I have used the Tec myself and I believe the stop for it is Soleilmont, along the more central loop."

"Thank you, that's all I needed to know." I glided over easily, and tipped him the equivalent of $70 in American Dollars.

He bowed simply, and smiled, leaving the room pleasantly.

* * *

 _Japanese being spoken._

"Well, finally. It's done."

"You sure?" Isayama's editor came waltzing by, looking around surveying the other manga illustrators heavy at work.

"Yes, this it is! Do you think Isayama-sama will like it?"

"The heavier-set man with the thin mustache took the drawing boards the younger held out to him. "Hm, looks proportional. Seems to be extremely accurate to the story as well. I congratulate you!" He did a quick nod at the young man.

"Thank you, thank you so much Miru-sama." He felt so rich in those words. For months he had been a co-partner on this project with Isayama-sama, a noted figure in the anime/manga community in Japan, and he was chosen out of hundreds that applied for the co-partner position.

"Your work doesn't just astound me, also your timeliness. With your help in the drawing, Isayama-san has gotten out the whole last season in nearly 4 months."

"Thank you." The younger took the boards back from his boss.

"It's nice to see an final end point for Attack on Titan, it's been such a wild ride. It's a shame, I'd like to know more about this character." He pointed at a younger girl with light brown hair and blue eyes. "Are you sure that Isayama-san wanted to end the series like that, and this quick?"

"Yes, absolutely. He said that an open-ended conclusion makes for a great cliff-hanger. He also mentioned wanting to work on a new project, and maybe that he would eventually come back to AOT later."

"A new project eh? Did he mention what it was Jishu-san? I never heard such."

"Mmm," Jishu tapped his scuffy chin, his appearance was unkempt due to his devotion to this now completed project. "No. He was fairly vague about it."

"That's very much like him... Vague."

"If you like, and if you have no time Sama, I'd be more than willing to track him down and inquire him about it." A new co-partnership began bubbling into the young man's head, one of more experience and more money.

"Yes, do so." He combed over his mustache with his fingertips. "Somehow, you have a knack of finding that man when nobody else can."

"Jishu peeled a banana and popped the end into his mouth, getting distracted, plopping back down into a desk chair. "Okay will do."

"Jishu."

"Huh?" He chewed.

"Seriously?"

"Jishu confused, rolled his eyes upwards, he stopped eating.

"How many times do I have to remind you not to eat in here?"

"Heh." Jishu said, slight mashed banana showing through the gap as his mouth opened for a second to let the sound out. He looked like he was about to break into a sweat.

"Sometimes Jishu-san, you can be so brilliant. And sometimes, so daft."


	5. Chapter 5

5

Heavy German and French were being spoken everywhere, and only one tour guide was on duty who spoke primarily decent English. She was French, very attractive, and even though she struggled with some English words and grammar, she was still making due, and I could appreciate it. It was a struggle to speak a foreign language, especially Japanese and Thai, both which I knew fluently.

Two and a half years ago, I would of sneered at this lady fumming over her words, for not being able to grasp the language entirely, and for how it made her look like a buffoon, a non-professional. But that was the old me. Being stuck up had gotten me many places, with my nose in-the-air, speaking advanced Asiatic languages and wheeling and dealing multi-million contracts, I didn't have time for idiocy of any kind. Anyone who bored me, I couldn't use for anything in anyway, I pushed wayward, I was on call 24/7, I made time equal money.

It's strange what happens to you when your entire life falls out from under you. Instead of using time, the time finds you: time to inspect yourself, to recall, relive, and remember past disagreements, past situations where you had acted like a jerk, and you begin to see that while it advances you to the top in many ways, being tough, refined, and snobby, it also pushes out love and humility. You forget positive things about people, and rather look at them and make snap judgments of them based off of their appearance, their education, or anything else that a person finds annoying.

I listened to the lady go on in broken-ish English, observing what she was talking about, and observing her and her disposition.

All of this travelling, enjoying... it was changing me. I had never been much of a people-watcher, and honestly I'd never been so 'free-feeling' in my entire life. This lady wasn't bad. She was just a young girl, it was probably her first job. I could tell she was just learning, as she did have a notebook and she referred to it from time to time.

"And here is the divisor... uh, science division wing. This building used to be active area for much testing of disease and blood disorder. In 2008, it closed, and city turned into museum, with much money from government. This science section displays some of the fine..." She searched for the English word in her head, "accomplishments... of scientists of 1980's, and displays are available for viewing. Go ahead. 30 minutes. Tour continues. Thank you." She smiled, and a few people walked up to her and began asking her simplified questions.

I stepped towards the back, I didn't really have any questions she could answer, at least not at the moment. _So, this was where my father used to work._ I touched the wood railing, the building was German in design, but expressed some imported elements of wrought iron, popularized in England. I had learned it was built shortly after 1920, and it lasted through the bombing of WWII. Leave it to me, the architectural contract genius to know my construction materials. I knew exactly how much wrought iron cost to import to each Asian country.

"Such history hmm?" A random American on the tour came up to my side and inquired.

"Yeh. I can see a lot has been accomplished here." I stared deeply into a display covered in circular dishes with faux, jelly-looking, but probably plastic protein growths, surrounded by old cut-out newspapers all in French. "The tour guide earlier said that nearly 60 major disease vaccines had been resolved in this building."

"I know, truly amazing." The man concluded, he stared into the full-glass display with me.

One of them had a picture of my father printed on it, and he was smiling. It warmed my heart. I was trying not to get teary-eyed in public, but something inside of me couldn't quite hold it down all the way.

"Ma'am, do you have any questions?" The tour guide came up to my side.

I knew it was her duty to hit-up as many tourists as possible, being amazingly friendly was a part of the job. I immediately sniffed, and took a quick tiny kleenex out of my black travel bag and blotted my eyes up.

"Oh. Are you okay?" She asked instantly concerned.

"No. But, it's okay." I smiled at her, it was a fake one, but it was at least something to let the girl know that I was going to be okay. "Can you do something for me?"

"Anything you need while tour Ma'am."

"I don't speak French. Can you translate that article for me to English?" I turned and the other tourist had walked away and was staring into another glass display on down the way. It was just her and I now.

"Oh, yes!" She seemed incredibly thrilled. She got closer to the glass and inspected where the article's starting point was. I simply watched her as she scanned the old paper. "A ha." She took in a deep breath. "Today has come a great day. Finally the Science Division at Offerman Sciences Institute, has resolved uh..." She trailed inspecting, thinking. "crisis major... major crisis involving proteins attaching to virus..."

I knew that word. "Hetero-Globangi."

"Ah! Very good!" She nodded at me smiling.

"This virus, once a wide-span... no... spread pathogen had infected hundreds thousand of Africa. With help of Dr. William (Bill) McLann, an American scientist, a cure has been achieved!" She squeaked the end out, almost as if she was internally congratulating herself for her well-said English grammar.

"Thank you." I smiled lightly. "If it's any consolation, you did very well."

She furrowed her brows.

I smirked again. "You did well. Thank you."

"Merci." She nodded her head to the right, her wavy blonde hair fluffing to the side. She spoke out a French 'thank you'. "Anything else... uh questions?"

"Oh yes, I do have a question now."

She smiled, happy to oblige.

"Is there a internet cafe nearby?"

"Oh yes. Outside, take left. Two blocks. Coffee, internet."

"Merci." I repeated to her in French. Afterwards, I stormed off and out the doors.

No more tour. Not today anyway. I knew there was more to see, but emotions had begun to overwhelm me. All I wanted to do was take the light rail back to my hotel and calm down, but I wanted to stop somewhere first for something special.

My father, he was such a great man.

I stared at the picture I took on my iphone all the way down the street. As I hurried along, looking at the monotone newspaper photo in short glances, as to also watch where I was going so I didn't smash into other passerby. I noted that he was smiling out from behind glasses. He still had worn such a similar style. And then another thing caught my attention. A date. A date that made me pause, made me absolutely stop dead in my tracks, tears flowing over my cheeks:

The photo was taken a week before I was born.

* * *

3 Weeks Earlier

 _Japanese._

"Isayama! Yo! Isayama!" Jishu yelled.

A random window on the side of a building snapped open and only half of a face was seen in the dark. "Hey. You. Down there. Shut up!"

"Hey! Hey!" Jishu waved his arms erratically. "I'm looking for someone! I've called, texted, emailed!"

"What?" The voice was annoyed. "It's 4 am. Go to bed." The window began to close.

"NO NO! Wait!" Jishu yelled louder, this time with his hands over his mouth to project his voice more.

The person halted.

Jishu sighed, and ran up closer to the building, and away from the edge of the street. "Sama! Do you know of Isayama-sama? Space 89?"

"Yes. Down the hall." The voice was sighing.

"Can you buzz me into the building?! Please?" Jishu's throat was sore. "I've been looking for him for three days! He hasn't showed up to work! I'm worried!"

"Oh...?" The male voice came closer to the window, his face coming to light. He was an older man, in his 60's.

"Yeh! So, will you let me in?"

"Young man. Isayama-san moved out two days ago. Your two days late I'm afraid."

"What?"

"What?" The man yelled down.

"I said... WHAT?!"

"I SAID HE MOVED OUT TWO DAYS AGO! NOW GO TO BED!" The window slammed shut.


	6. Chapter 6

6

It was finally here, and it had been available for purchase. It got here in four days. I ordered it in the internet cafe.

It's faster to ship from Asia to Europe, than from Asia to America.

I was laying in my room on the bed, catching myself back up on the manga. It was a habit I had picked up after I quit my job. I had seen it everywhere in Japan, the fad had spread to China, Thailand, and even into India, America, Canada, everywhere. I would of been lying if I had said at the time that I wasn't at least half interested in what manga and anime was all about.

At the time I didn't care to explore any of my interests, curiosities.

But this Attack on Titan, it had me hooked. In my travels, since I'd quit (I'd been travelling non stop), I'd been ordering the newest chapters/novels as they'd come out, and reading the story arc. It helped that I could just order the manga in Japanese since I could read and write it.

I was sad to see it finally come to a close, and so quick. I wanted to know more. It seemed really like it had just started.

I didn't understand it. I didn't get it.

The last few pages spoke of the end times, and somehow the efforts of the Scouting Legion all came down to someone... standing in the shadows.

I had to admit, it was the hook of all hooks. No better way to leave it open ended for a return to the story a couple years down the road. Leave it all in mystery. I couldn't decide if I thought the hook sucked, or if it was a good one.

I tossed the last manga of Attack on Titan into my bag and rolled over onto the bed, onto my backside all sprawled out.

I had needed this. Calmness, comfort in my favorite story, and I had needed out of there.

I couldn't be there, that's how I knew I needed to go back, to finish the tour, to get through it. I was still mourning, I still was grieving. I had to come to some sense of okay-ness. I had to find a level ground somewhere, somehow. If facing my fears at the Offerman Science building was what it took to come to terms with my family's loss, then I had to.

I was born inside of that building my dad had told me.

I'll go tomorrow, on my last day in Belgium. I'll check out of my hotel, and I'll keep my carry-on with me while I'm there, so I can go on that tour again right before I have to fly out and go back to the US, back home, where I might consider going back to work somewhere.

 _If I can do it. If I feel I can, if I feel I should._

* * *

"Hello!" The French tour guide came up to me.

"Hi." I said. I was in the same part I had just been in a few days prior.

"Welcome. Why again?" She stared into the glass case with me that I had had such trouble being in front of that last time.

"I didn't finish... I had to leave." I white-lied. I didn't 'have to' leave, I just chose to. I couldn't handle it.

"Oh! Well, lucky! The trolley is open today!"

"The trolley?"

She nodded, and she opened a binder, handing me a pamphlet. It was in English, thank heavens. It spelled out that it was an in-museum motorized system that gave tours to the furthest parts of the institute. It looked a lot like the trolleys in San Diego, very old, but they were all white, and rather than being on a track like an actual train, it was just ran off of battery power.

I had wanted to see some of the old biochemical laboratories where my dad worked.

"Uhm, thank you. I think I will take one of the tours on one of these today." I smiled at her. "Does it cost extra?"

"Oh, no. Not more."

"Where does the trolley start?"

She pointed across the room I we were in, which was close to the foyer, and into another huge, grand room, which was down the hall. I could tell it had less glass exhibits in it and more roped off areas surrounding some sort of machines and devices that were on display.

"Well, thank you." I nodded to her.

She smiled. "Welcome." With that she walked away with a 'Hello!' to some other people standing alongside the fountain midway between this room and the next.

I watched her. 'ohh no. No.' she was saying, as these kids were putting their small little hands in the fountains water. 'no touch please. I'm sorry!'

I walked away, slowly scanning the place. Kids were such a nuisance sometimes.

This place had all sorts of stuff in the inside of it, it had a small pizzeria, a place where you could get frozen custard, and even a little souvenir shop. Upon entering it was the coolest shop I have ever been in. I had all of these toy planes, as this used to be a government owned building, it had a lot of postcards with military photos on it, but there were some of the cities as well. All sorts of knick knacks covered the walls, tapestries you could buy with printed slogans on them, some candies that you could buy and put inside paper bags.

A few postcards caught my attention. One of the building itself with a bright blue sky overhead, one of the city with a huge fountain in the middle, and also another, which was a photo in motion. It was one of those 'moving traffic' photos, where all the lights on the highways and roads blurred into steady streams of colors. It was night time, and all the buildings were lit. Beautiful. I didn't have time to put them in the post, I'd just put them in my carry-on bag that I had been lugging around with me, and give them to people when I got back.

* * *

I had no idea why I had decided to pack my carry-on bag into this museum, I should of down-sized to one of my smaller purses in the suitcase I left in my room, but, it was just all packed and ready for the plane when I got back. It looked pristine, and I hadn't wanted to tear it apart.

I regretted that now.

My black carry-on was heavy, and even though it really wasn't that heavy, my mind was making me believe it was heavier than it actually was. What it came down to was I was fatigued. I had forced myself way outside of my comfort zone with the trolley tour, and on top of that, I really needed to use the restroom.

The trolley wouldn't stop. It hadn't let any of us off at all. We were outdoors in a courtyard somewhere moving across a cobblestone lot making our way to yet another sciences wing, and what stunk is this last old laboratory viewing was the furthest away from the main building. I knew where the bathrooms were in the main building, but not in this upcoming one, and the tour guide was different. This tour was completely in French.

I didn't understand what was being said, from time to time I could pick up on a word or two, as all the romance languages sometimes shared similar root-woods, just like how I could pick up on a German word or two in that way, and also Italian.

In Italian 'Benvenuto', meant welcome. I knew 'Bienvientos' meant welcome in Spanish. So similar sounding, and meaning the same thing, but just a tad different.

The same thing was happening, the tour guide was speaking in full sentences, but then I'd heard him say a word.

He said 'Auteur', which I knew was "Author." 'Filtre'='Filter'. 'Paire'='Pair'.

Other than those few words though... honestly...

I was lost.

Just stick with the tour, and I'd be fine.

The trolley halted.

"Okay!" The guide said his first word in English. Then spoke French again swinging his arms around, obviously very expressionist and in his own language, giving time approximates for the stop.

Everyone hopped off the trolley and I followed suit. This area was beautiful, laboratories to explore, but also, it was half open to a courtyard.

I couldn't take it.

"Excuse me." I squirmed over to a random stranger. I lightly touched a bigger woman's arm.

"Hm?"

"I'm so sorry, but... God, this is embarrassing."

"What is it?" She said in perfect English.

"Oh! Thank God, you speak English."

She chuckled. She obviously knew exactly what I meant, exactly what my brain was thinking before I had to explain myself.

"Do you have any idea where a bathroom is at in this section of the tour?"

"Oh! Uh no, I really don't."

"I'm sorry, but uh..." I internally cursed myself, but damn it. I wanted relief. "Do you speak French. I don't, and I just, I really need to use the bathroom. I had been holding it for so long." I was wincing, as my bladder was pin-pricking.

She could tell. "Oh no, but um. Let me grab my husband. He speaks it. Just... Let me grab him. I'll ask him for you okay?"

"Oh thank you, thank you." I sighed, and breathed in quick. "You have no idea how thankful I am."

I sat on a stone bench in the courtyard. Cross-legged. Just waiting. I was kind of upset, I really wanted to take pictures and enjoy this last leg/wing of the tour, and I was afraid that if I didn't find a bathroom, and use it soon, that I wasn't going to have the time to explore the way I wanted to.

"Okay hunny. He wrote the instructions down on a piece of paper." She handed it to me. "Do you want me to go with you?"

I snatched it, like someone who was starving would snatch up a piece of bread. "Oh gosh, seriously, thanks for the offer. But, I'll be fine."

"Well okay! Off you go!"

"Yes. Thank you again." I stood immediately, heaving my bag over my shoulder and hauled myself using the directions as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Oh thank God!" I ran into the bathroom, slammed open the stall, and locked it.

After I was done, I walked out, and dug around in my carry-on. I held out my phone and snapped a photo of myself in the bathroom with a frowny face.

I hilariously titled it 'Bathroom strikes rather than enjoying a tour xD', and sent it to one of my friend Drew back home. I had went on a date with him, we weren't compatible, but we had at least remained friends.

He sent me a Snapchat back of his face with bunny ears and weird lips. 'Wish I was there tho!' it read.

I smiled, shaking my head. The irony of my situation was hilarious.

I turned on the square-shaped faucet, washing my hands, then drying them on my black skinny jeans. There were no paper towels, or hand dryers.

This building had remodeled bathrooms compared to the others. But no hand dryers? No towels? Nothing?

 _Interesting._

All the other bathrooms in the main building still had their traditional fixtures. I had used one on my first trip to the Offerman in the left wing, and I had used the main one as well, closest to the foyer.

My knowledge of building materials began to kick in. The tiles in this bathroom were white and a light tan, both made of a ceramic, plain, but they were moderately cheap. The vinyl flooring didn't match the hallway's wooden floors. And this one had stalls that closed, very similar to American bathrooms, and unlike the other bathroom doors, which fully closed with no spaces, in the other parts of the main building, which I would assume was at least a mile or more away.

I shook my head, and shuffled things around in my bag. I pulled out some makeup and spruced up my mascara, and ran a quick brush through my hair, putting the postcards away into an inside pocket, I didn't want them getting shuffled around and bent.

Slowly I opened the door to the bathroom, and it shut very lightly.

Nothing. No noise at all. Complete silence. I had to go down three different hallways to get to the bathroom.

I took a right and began walking back, texting on my phone as I walked.

"Damn. This building is so quiet."

My eyes were glued to a video posted in NY a few days ago where some sort of protest was taking place, I was engrossed in it, looking at picket slogans people came up with.

"Ha, Moore is like Stalin? Yeh... right."

I looked up. Stopped, very close to the end of the hallway, but...

Somehow... two choices?

"What?"

I had to either go left, or right.

I looked back over my shoulder down the way I came. It all looked... the same.

All white walls. All hardwood floor, shiny.

"Wait a sec." I turned around and began walking the other way, back the way I had came, letting a 'whhhhwww' sound out of my mouth. "I almost lost it there."

* * *

"No. No. This, this isn't right."

I was boggled. I had walked back the way I had came!

I stammered to myself, briskly walking. I kept trying doors, when I came up on them, there really weren't that many!

I shook a silver handle on a door that blended in so well with the wall that I almost didn't even see it. It didn't open.

"God, damn it! Where the fuck am I?"

No outside light anywhere! All florescent indoor. I was irritated.

"I'm lost, I know I'm lost!" I whispered to myself, as I quickened my pace. "What the fuck was I thinking? I should of been paying attention. It's okay. It's okay, soon I'll find someone. I'll see someone. And I'll be speaking English and they'll realize I'm just a confused lost tourist."

Something screeched.

I jolted suddenly, my heart lerched into my throat. It made me almost sick.

I stopped dead, my mouth ajar.

Dead silence, nothing, for... almost an hour. I had been checking my phone for the time.

Then this? It wasn't loud, but it sure as shit wasn't friendly.

Taking a step back, it screamed again. This time louder, I could hear faint footsteps, it was coming from an adjacent hall, the hall that I was walking up onto that intersected mine perpendicularly. I had determined already that at the end of this one I'd take a right rather than a left.

My concept was I'd just keep walking and I'd end up somewhere. Someone would find me. \

I wanted to jolt down the hall and say 'Hey! Hey! help, I'm lost!', but as I heard footsteps getting louder, closer, and the shrieking, which I realized was human, getting more irate, my gut told me something else: Hide.

I bolted the opposite way, sprinting down the hall, just around the previous hallway's corner in time to slam my back up against the wall, hiding from what was going on.

I covered my ears. The screaming.

 _HOLY FUCK!_

Blood curdling. Like a vicious... _animal!_

I was frightened, all to hell!

But my morbid curiosity. Trembling. I inched my face, to the side of the wall, turning it to the right, ever so slightly letting just my nose, and my right eye look around the corner.

What I seen. I wish I wouldn't of seen.

I immediately snapped right back around, only to jolt off back the way I came again once more, holding tightly onto my phone in my hand and my carry on squeezed tightly to my chest.

My mind raced as I sprinted anyway I could, away from the squealing.

 _SON OF A BITCH! I'M GETTING THE FUCK OUT OF HERE! What? What the fuck? Wha... Wha._

Two soldiers dragging a young woman down the hall by her ankles. Her body arched, writhing, like an wild tiger they had just captured that was trying to get free. She was clawing. Wherever they were dragging her... she didn't want to go.

And what was worse?

A small, single trail of red coming out from under her as they dragged her mercilessly.

Blood.


	7. Chapter 7

7:36PM

"I'm here, still walkin' these halls." I video-recorded myself on my phone, with the portable charger plugged into it. I was heaving, scared out of my mind, It'd been nearly three hours, and I was still cruising the hallways lit by fluorescent indoor lights, now at a slower pace. I knew night had fallen, but nothing had changed.

"There's no windows, I'm lost, and these hallways are all the same. That's why I'm making this series of video recordings... I'm, I'm confused, I'm scared. I... I don't know what's going on." My throat hitched, I wanted to talk about it, but it had frightened me so deeply. "I, I seen this girl, she was..." I felt hot tears begin falling down my face, and I knew the camera was catching it." She was getting dragged by these men. She was kicking and screaming, and they just drug her along, like she was nothing, like a rag doll. I think, I think I'm still at the Offerman Science Institute, I could of walked somewhere else, I don't know where I am."

I continued babbling into my phone, panicked, speaking in broken sentences. "I tried this, have I tried this door?" The camera was on my face, as a jiggled another handle that didn't move. "Damn it! Nothing! None of these doors open!" My eyes met the camera with frustration. "Where the hell am I? My feet are so sore. I just, I feel like I've walked more than 7 or 8 miles? I mean, I don't know, I have no idea. They, they just hurt."

8:03PM

"I still am walking, I really feel like sitting down, but I feel if I sit down, then I won't find a way out." You could hear my footsteps on the wood floors through my microphone. "Do you hear that?" I paused for a second, and then started walking again. "Nothing. That's what you hear. Nothing at all. It's dead silent. Except for that girl screaming earlier. Did I mention, oh and this is the best part." I was obviously becoming slightly hysterical. "Underneath of her, as those men, those uniformed men, dragged her across the floor, there was a streak of blood coming out from under her. Somehow, in some way, she was wounded, and I... I don't know what from."

I sat down cross-legged and the camera picked it up. I filmed the same plain-looking hall, that I had been filming.

"I, I just I have to sit for a second. I'm dying from thirst." I sat the my camera phone down as it still rolled. I began digging through my bag, and taking out a bottle of water I began to gulp it down in gulps that were camel-like. "God, I needed that. I just, I want out of here. I have a little food on me, but after that, I have to find some sort of nourishment. I didn't think I'd be stuck in here this long, but after seeing that girl, I instantly ran the other direction, I mean, what else was I supposed to do? Sit and wait until they came and got me? What would they of done to me?"

8:24PM

The camera turned on, and it was obvious I was jumping. "Son of a bitch! The ceilings are too high! These, these ceilings, from my experience, they've got to be eleven feet high. That's unusual for a commercial building. I just, I don't know how they paid to have all of these floors be hardwood. It doesn't make any sense."

I sighed and jumped again. "Shit." I landed. The camera rustled and was back on my face, as I was walking "I don't know why I thought a second go at it would make a difference." I sighed. "I guess, my thought was if I could get up into the ceiling somehow, I could take out a tile first, if there were tiles, but there aren't. Also, weird. But maybe once I got up there I could punch my way through. There is nothing to stand on in these halls. Since the ceilings are so high, really, even with something to stand on I still wouldn't be able to reach it."

9:02PM

The camera turned on. "I really have to use the bathroom. Again. I have had no luck at all getting out of here." The camera was pointed downwards into my bag as I was rummaging around inside of it. It was getting a full-on view of my stuff, hands digging. "Ahh, well. I have a spare toilet paper. I seriously have no idea what to do, except pee in this bottle. I don't want to pee all over the floor. What's worse is I have no signal. No wifi. Nothing, I can't post any of this to facebook, or to my live stream. I have no idea what that even means."

I growled. "Yeh, okay I know what that means, that means that I'm in the middle of nowhere, stuck."

9:15PM

"You have no idea how gross that was." I sighed, I was sitting on the ground still. "I'm glad that was over, the worst part is I have no idea where a trash can is to throw the bottle away."

I coughed loudly. "Obviously I'm getting thirsty again. I just, I can't believe this. I'm nearing 30, and I shouldn't be stuck in something like this. I, I quit my job finally. It was time to get out of there. I just wanted to travel, and do as my friend said. I wanted to actually 'see' the world. I didn't think I'd end up stuck somewhere, stuck in a series of hallways, pondering over my life."

9:51PM

"It's quiet. You just have no idea. I've never heard such a quiet in my life. I've been all over Asia, doing contract deals, and it's so noisy there in the bigger cities. Bangkok. That's a noisy one. This quiet is, it's the worst. I feel like I'm just waiting for them to find me at this point. That's what it's come to. I'm just sitting here. I don't know what else to do. I didn't want to give into it, especially with what I saw, what I heard. But it's come to this, I've ran out of resources. I have a few candy bars left, but that's it. I think actually..." I was digging again.

"Yeh, I do have one granola bar left as well. It's probably enough to last over night, which I don't want to even THINK about at this point, but if I'm left with no other choice then... I'll have to."

I coughed again, and licked my lips the camera turned from my pack to my face.

"I feel really weird. This whole time, my insides are just telling me that something isn't right. I have no idea why there aren't people staffed in these halls. All the doors locked. All the hallways the same. I feel like this is some sort of sick joke, and sometime someone is going to pop out of somewhere and give me a prize or something... or worse."

10:34PM

"I chose to go. That's what I wanted to do." The camera was fully fixed on postcards I had laid out. "I didn't get to see places like this." I pointed to the cards. "I went to college for international business, thinking that it was going to be a career where 'i'd get to see the world!'" I got grandiose with my words. "I thought of a life where I was always travelling somewhere new, sending stuff home, getting great pay and time off. I was so wrong. I got paid a lot, and I was everywhere, but I never got time off. I never got to see them, my employer, he so desperately needed me, or so he made it seem. It was like everywhere we went he always assured me I was the best, he always kept me on my toes. That was why I stayed in it so long."

I sat the camera down, and started to unravel and candy bar, adjusting the camera so it could see what I was doing. "I felt so valued. I was bought expensive gifts, half of which I'd send home to my family anyway. I was being flattered over and over again. For awhile I thought maybe my boss liked me, or had some sort of crush on me, even though he was married. But that never really was the case."

Taking a huge bite out of the candy bar, I began chewing, folding the wrapper down. The camera catching all of it. "Mm, well there's caramel in this one. I can't read the label though since it's in German."

11:30PM

"I should of just quit." I was laying on my side, on the hardwood floor, with the camera nestled on top of a book, catching my face and the empty hallway down in front of me. My head was resting on my carry-on like a pillow. "Instead of letting myself continue... but I thought I had something great, and I was fearful that if I quit, I'd never find another job that would pay as well, or as high. I took pride that I landed such a pristine position, and I even got proud myself."

I sighed laying on my carry-on, and I wiped a tear from my eye. The florescent lights above stark across my features.

"I feel like an asshole. I chose my job, over my family. I don't know what was going on in my head." I began to cry. "I thought that when I got enough out of it that I needed, then someday I'd just quit. I'd just head back, and they'd be there. Like always. But that turns out that that's not the case, and what happened, my parents dying, then soon after, my brother. I just, I never thought that that would ever happen. Not like that."

1:56 AM

"Mm" I rubbed my eyes, the cam in the exact spot that it was in before. "I must of passed out for a bit."I grabbed the camera and sat up.

"It's almost 2 am, unbelievable." I yawned deeply. "I came here because I thought that I could make amends with my parents death. I was born here, which is weird because it isn't a hospital at all. My mom, she uh..." I yawned again deeply, my words breathy, and slower. "She came with my dad... here, to Belgium, for a job... when he was much younger (yawn), and I was born while they were here. He told me that they didn't have time to make it to a hospital, my mom had went into labor so fast."

"So, it's weird. It's like I'm trapped in the very building that I was born in."

2:19 AM

"My legs. They hurt so incredibly bad. I've been just laying around on this hard floor, the floor is not cold at all though, usually hardwood and linoleum floors are cool at least. That's why I fell asleep so fast. I still have my jacket on, but still."

2:37 AM

The cam was pointed at the floor. "You see that wood? It's Brazilian elm. I know because the commercial business I used to work for installed some in a restaurant in Hong Kong. Damn, this stuff isn't cheap. It's so finely varnished and laminated too. This is what it's come down to, I'm so out of it, that I've been inspecting the hallways themselves. Between that wood, and the tile-less ceiling, and the types of handles on these doors, they're pretty new-age, they're made out of a burnished stainless steel, this whole hallway..." I picked the phone up and it panned left to right. "How am I even awake is another good question."

2:45 AM

"It's probably 200 feet. The cost is outrageous. Between the wood, the handles, and the ceiling alone, and I can tell that it's made with rudiment plaster, by the texture of it, it's about $100,000 for this one hallway. I assumed that the wood at first was the same as it was in the other main buildings, but now that I get to looking at it, it isn't. The other main buildings also have elm as their flooring, but these dark bands..."

The view-space moved to show the bands on the wood. "These bands weren't present in the other floors, now that I think about it."

3:05 AM

The camera showed a handle. "See these, here's a door, that doesn't open." I tried the handle and gave it a jiggle. "This was that burnished steel I was talking about. These are about $100 each, and just for a door handle. What's strange is the hallways by the bathroom I was in, now yesterday, they weren't as refurbished, but as I went along, it was like they were. And then as I got more lost, all the hallways remained the same."

3:17 AM

"I've decided I'm going to try to pick this lock. Or maybe I can run a credit card in the crack as I turn the handle?" The camera shot around viciously as I was digging through my pack. "Ah ha, okay, well, I'm going to use my Target giftcard. I think I only have maybe $2 left on here." The card flipped on the screen front-ways and back-ways. "I'm gunna put the camera in my front jacket pocket here, the one that's up by my chest." The camera shuffled. "Ah okay, there we go. It seems like, I think that'll work, yeh." Hands came back down to the handle. "Okay so, as I insert the card with my right hand into the slot, I need to turn the handle down with my left hand, and the card, in theory, should help the door lock slid open."

I tried it, the cam picking up clicking.

"Uh, I think I wasn't forceful enough."

I tried it again.

"I actually, I heard a loud click. I think I almost got it! I'm going to... I might try it again." There was so much excitement in my words.

"Holy hell! I got it!"

I didn't take the phone out of my pocket, but I just creaked the door open slowly.

"It's... a closet. Go figure." Sarcasm.

3:49 AM

"So here's another one, man." I approached another burnished handle. "It took me maybe 30 minutes to locate another door. It's like there's only one door every five or six hallways."

I tried my card into the door again, and it opened.

"I've got this down really well."

I creaked the door open slowly.

Darkness.

I got really quiet. Down to a whisper.

"Hmm, I uh... I don't hear anything. Is there a light switch somewhere? Maybe? Okay..."

I picked the rolling cam out of my pocket, and turned on the flashlight.

Instantly the room brightened, the camera picking up what was inside: new outdoor carpet, elevated areas that were filled with small round desks and chairs.

4:00 AM

"God I can't believe it's so late. All that's in here is just a bunch of tables and chairs, as you can see." I yawned deeply. "It looks like some sort of work area, where 4 people would sit at a table and converse with each other."

BANG!

"Oh my god!" The camera was seen shuffling around, and the light went out, and everything was black, even though the screen still rolled. I was whispered. "Th... there was a bang. I. I think it was the door that I came into this room from."

My erratic breathing was heard.

"The door didn't open. It... it didn't open. Shit."

4:15 AM

Screen pitch black.

"I'm scared. I'm really scared. I don't want to stay in this room because there's nothing in here, but I don't know what that loud bang was. It's pitch black, and I'm just sitting here in the dark, not knowing what's going on. I feel that maybe they found me, that they know I'm in here, those soldiers, but why would they just bang on the door like that, rather than opening it and turning the lights on?"

A few long breaths escaped.

"I'm just trying to keep calm, and keep my head on my shoulders."

4:28 AM

"So, I've stacked the chairs on top of each other. It's a hell of a balancing act, but I've got a table as a base, and then two chairs stacked up." I filmed the small tower up and down. "But I'm certain I can reach the ceiling in this room with this. We'll see how it goes."

5:02 AM

"I fell and slipped off twice." The camera was back in my pocket, and it was shuffling around as the camera picked up on me using another chair (it's stainless steel leg) to slam into the ceiling, breaking and busting a tile out, it falling over me, covering me in white ceiling dust.

I coughed, as I hoisted myself up, setting the chair I'd used as a battering ram down as quietly and gently on the other side of the table down below without losing my balance. "Thank god, Jesus. I don't know what I would of done without figuring this out. At least I'm not in those hallways anymore. I could probably figure a way out from up here." I turned on my camera's flashlight again.

"Well, what sucks is my first power supply is almost dead, I have another one in here somewhere." I ruffled through my bag, the cam picking it up. I pulled one out that had a sticker on it. I chuckled. "It's from Hong Kong actually. In mandarin it means 'Happiness can be anywhere.' I'm just laughing, I'm happy for the moment, but I need to shut up. I'm stuck up here in the rafters, and I need to be careful."

5:49 AM

"So it's getting close to 6 AM, and I have just been walking along the rafters in the same direction." The cam wasn't on my face, but I had my flashlight on, and it was picking up just a bunch of wooden beams, and dust particles. "I figured if I walk in the same direction for a really long time, and don't give up on it, a wall will eventually come, and that means a founding wall for the side of the building."

I coughed. "I need water so bad." But I continued to talk anyway. "What's weird is, there are no vents up here. Nothing but total darkness. No pipes for plumbing, a ton of electrical wire though. I mean look at it."

The phone panned down to reveal wires bundled in thick tubing. "At least 600 wires in this one bundle. I'm being really careful around this, making sure not to step on any of it, I bet a shit ton of electricity is moving through them. I'd be fried in a split second." I stopped just to breath for a second.

"Climbing on these rafters reminds me of childhood. Man I'm wore out. I just gotta sit for a sec."

The camera caught me just breathing and looking around, as the cam came back to my face for a second, obvious that I had taken a few pictures.

"I had to take some pics. I mean, this electrical bundling is insane. And, it's all going across the floor in a separate direction from where I'm heading. That's much more power than what's required for some high voltage indoor lighting, like those hallways had. Whatever these wires are powering, is probably not just the hallway lights, but something else that requires a lot more voltage."

6:24 AM

"Shit, here's the wall. Thick masonery. Gray blocks. These are about $6 each, but they're outdoor material." I put my head up against the wall, listening, the camera picking up my face. "I can't hear anything except a buzz of some sort, it seems there might be some electrical wires running through the walls here too."

I breathed in deep, just trying to concentrate. "Well... shit, I can't dig through this wall, and I still have no service. This is nuts." I sighed. "I guess I could probably... uh... follow this wall, and see if it connects with another wall somewhere? Or I could follow the electrical bundles, and see where they start to go down into the rooms, and that would be where people who probably be. I'm, honestly, I'm running out of options."

7:25 AM

"I've had it off for nearly an hour, well cams back on. I found where this first bundle goes down into a room, looks like it separates out for individual things." The camera panned to the bundle where it split up like a spiderweb. "Man these electrical wires are so compact. Okay, so here's the plan, I'm going to take out a tile, because it's tiles here, that means that it isn't a hallway, and I'm going to take a few pictures. I don't know if it's safe."

The camera was put to the side, and it caught me lifting a tile gently and I grabbed the camera, the lights weren't on, so I turned on the flash.


End file.
